Fingernails?

Allright. I've tried to grow my nails, I've tried fake nails, I've filed them every which way and after about 5 minutes or less of playing I end up gouging the hell out of them. When I get the nail filed to where it doesn't get torn up, it ends up getting caught on the treble strings and when it's released it yeilds a very harsh sound.

What am I doing wrong? Am I playing too hard? I seem to get better results with the fleshy part of my finger although it has a much duller sound then I want. I've been a semi hybrid picker since I can remember. Even with a flatpick, I play hybrid. It's just always come natural to me but I can't seem to use nails without tearing them up or having them adversely affect my playing.

Help!?
-Aaron

What brand of fake nails? You'd be surprised how they vary. Nailene provides the thickest, most indestructible formula out there. No other comes close, actually. Give that another shot.

I'm a nail-biter, so I was a fleshy-part-of-the-finger guy for years. I switched to fake nails and everything improved.

guess i'm just lucky, but my nails "hang in there"....fleshy part of the fingers just doesn't work for me; resulting sound is just ppphhhtttttt..!!! and totally spank-less....i carry a small square of sandpaper in my "gig box" and never go anywhere without a nail file/clippers, just in case....i am very careful about reaching/grabbing up anything cause without my fingernails on my right hand my thumbpick would over ride the sound from my nail-less fingers.i am retired so that makes it a little easier to "be careful", but even before retirement when working in a machine/welding shop, my nails had a pretty good survival rate......i don't use any kind of hardener or anything, just make sure to keep them at a "picking" length and keep them clean and the afore mentioned nail clippers are part of my dress code...

How long are you growing your nails? I use my nails all the time, but I keep them pretty short. Just long enough to get both the nail and the fingertip on the string. Then I just file off the inside corner of the nails so that it is rounded instead of square.

If all else fails take one lesson with a serious classical player. They will set you straight!

I have just started trying a nail conditioner product I found on the web called "Flexinail". I think it will take 3-4 months to really yield results, but I want to give it a shot before I resort to either fake or acrylic nails. They put a 100 day guarantee on it, because it takes time to get into the matrix of the nail. My ring fingernail holds up pretty well, but the nail on the middle finger is very prone to peeling and splitting.

How long are you growing your nails? I use my nails all the time, but I keep them pretty short. Just long enough to get both the nail and the fingertip on the string. Then I just file off the inside corner of the nails so that it is rounded instead of square.

If all else fails take one lesson with a serious classical player. They will set you straight!

Same here. I just use enough nail to add sibilance to the 'fat' bare finger tone.

I started a thread about this recently .

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/bad-dog-cafe/98876-anyone-use-false-nails-have-better-solution.html

Now that I have false nails , I certainly wouldn't go back to having normal nails .
I had mine done professionally at a beauty salon :lol:
They look exactly like my own nails , but are much stronger .
I don't notice they are there now , and they also make my hands look prettier he he :lol:
Seriously though , try them .

How I have filed mine :

A fraction over my pad , with a very slight point ( more C than V )
The key appears to be ensuring the circumference is absolutely smooth around the sides , and the strings simply glide now .
I also round them off very much in the corners .
I'm going to get one on my first finger too when I go back , as I often swap for total fingers , or if I play with a thumb pick ( normally hybrid ) I like to use all of my remaining fingers for different stuff .

10 / 10 for the falsies .

I keep my left hand nails a little long for bending under strings.
It's a delicate balance.
One day they're perfect and 2 days later a note goes thunk because my nail bottomed out on the fretboard before the string hit the fret.
Anybody else bend like this?

I keep my left hand nails a little long for bending under strings.
It's a delicate balance.
One day they're perfect and 2 days later a note goes thunk because my nail bottomed out on the fretboard before the string hit the fret.
Anybody else bend like this?

I would occasionally do a similar thing with my ring finger on theG string if I was going for a big bend with a huge vibrato .
I have now find that changing my frts to jumbos means I can now get hold of it without needing the nail . I'm still a bit weary of that finger as it was broken not long ago , so I tend to hold back a little .

I am cursed with relatively weak fingernails. You know you have bad nails when you see folks who aren't players with nails to die for. If my nails aren't shaped correctly, they're gonna break.

So from my point of view maintenance is a problem, and glass nail files are the answer. Not an endorsement for any particular brand, just suggesting a practical (for me necessary) accessory. Why don't they sell these things in guitar stores?

http://www.aboutglassnailfiles.com/00_cartimages/B1.jpg

I keep the nails on my picking hand slightly longer, I coat them in a low gloss nail strengthener (ok, polish!) and clip the corners to prevent tearing. Not perfect but pretty good. My index finger nail is kept short as are my left hand nails.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e125/Tim_73/Nails.jpg

Only 1 drawback to artificial nails. The grievous indignity of salon girls who cover their mouths, point at you, and twitter "tee hee hee- he a man". Other than that, they're idiot-proof

I keep my left hand nails a little long for bending under strings.
It's a delicate balance.
One day they're perfect and 2 days later a note goes thunk because my nail bottomed out on the fretboard before the string hit the fret.
Anybody else bend like this?

Yes. You're in good company with Michael Bloomfield falling into that group as well.

Only 1 drawback to artificial nails. The grievous indignity of salon girls who cover their mouths, point at you, and twitter "tee hee hee- he a man". Other than that, they're idiot-proof

Yeah , but consider this :

An hour spent with the guys drinking crappy beer and acting all manly , or an hour spent with some gorgeous beautician face to face , holding your hand and smiling as she tells you how much she wished her ex boyfriend played in a band , before giving you her mobile number incase you get one coming off out of shop hours :mrgreen:

I keep my left hand nails a little long for bending under strings.
It's a delicate balance.
One day they're perfect and 2 days later a note goes thunk because my nail bottomed out on the fretboard before the string hit the fret.
Anybody else bend like this?

I have not heard of this technique, but it sounds intriguing. How does it work?

My problem is the forefinger on my pick hand. I choke the tip, my habit and technique/sound I guess. But I catch the edge of the nail on the strings when I do harmonic tip twists, which I do somewhat over. No matter how tight I trim it, no corner at all, it catches all the time and is annoying as all get out.

How do you get around that?

I have not heard of this technique, but it sounds intriguing. How does it work?

If he does it the same as me , then you take the G string for example with your ring finger between the pad and the nail and bend towards the thin E .
You can get some huge vibratos at the top of large bends , and the nail kind of stops the string slipping out underneath the pad .
Mainly for accenting the different degrees of bend without moving position .

My problem is the forefinger on my pick hand. I choke the tip, my habit and technique/sound I guess. But I catch the edge of the nail on the strings when I do harmonic tip twists, which I do somewhat over. No matter how tight I trim it, no corner at all, it catches all the time and is annoying as all get out.

How do you get around that?

Not sure what a harmonic tip twist is .
I have had nails for a few weeks now , but i'm very much at home with them now .
File underneath the nail slightly , and ( picture a rainbow ) go around the whole nail edge , especially into the finger sides ( might hurt at first ) with a proper nail file , so there are absolutely no edges etc to snag the string on .

If he does it the same as me , then you take the G string for example with your ring finger between the pad and the nail and bend towards the thin E .
You can get some huge vibratos at the top of large bends , and the nail kind of stops the string slipping out underneath the pad .
Mainly for accenting the different degrees of bend without moving position .

OK, so I've been playing for 40 years and have always bent in the other direction with my ring finger. Never too old to learn something new!
Hope I don't rip my nail off trying.

OK, so I've been playing for 40 years and have always bent in the other direction with my ring finger. Never too old to learn something new!
Hope I don't rip my nail off trying.

Lol .
I kind of do it once in a blue moon if i'm going off on one .
With the right drive and volume , it can be quite a dramatic indulgence , but not for the faint hearted he he . :lol:

Yeah , but consider this :

An hour spent with the guys drinking crappy beer and acting all manly , or an hour spent with some gorgeous beautician face to face , holding your hand and smiling as she tells you how much she wished her ex boyfriend played in a band , before giving you her mobile number incase you get one coming off out of shop hours :mrgreen:

Stranger things have happended

I'm trying something called "onymyrrh," an extract of myrrh. Try googling it; there's lots of anecdotal info. I've been using it for about three weeks, but it is supposed to take quite a while to see the results, since your nails have to grow out from the nail beds. But, supposedly they will grow in thicker and stronger.

Hey, it's worth a shot, since I have the world's crappiest fingernails :sad:

OK, so I've been playing for 40 years and have always bent in the other direction with my ring finger. Never too old to learn something new!
Hope I don't rip my nail off trying.


Actually...that's not what I do.
I bend in the "normal" direction.
When bending the G string toward the Low E (for instance), I scoop my fingernail under the D (and sometimes A) string, and it rides up over the top of my finger.
This way I'm not pushing all those strings out of the way. Bends are easier, vibrato more controlled, and I don't get worn out during long gigs.
This also allows me to use heftier strings, which I like for their tone; but those Albert King bends are a bear with 11s. Especially that full step with the first finger!
It takes a little practice to damp properly so they don't go KRANG when you release the bend.

Great idea! Is that something you learned from someone, or did you discover it?

I discovered it by keeping my action kind of high.
It was sort of a mistake.